The Terra Sancta International Organ Festival takes place between September 18th- October 30th, 2015 in important churches in Larnaca, Amman, Rhodes, Yaffo, Nazareth, Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
With the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Tel Aviv, Romania will be represented at the 2015 edition of the festival by prof. Marcel Octav Costea, who will perform, between October 27th-30th, four organ recitals in Yaffo, Nazareth, Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
The entrance to all festival events is free, the number of seats is limited.
Recital program:
• Tuesday, 27.10.2015, at 19:00 – Yaffo, Church of St.Peter, details: http://www.tsorganfestival.org/ The musical program includes:
D. Zipoli - Canzona in g (from Sonate d'Intavolatura per Organo & Cimbalo)
J. F. Krisbacensis - Ciaccona in B
J. Pachelbel - Partita über Wass Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
G. Frescobaldi - Messa della Madonna (fragments)
D. Dediu - Les barricades misterieuses - reloaded (Intermezzo pour orgue)
M. O. Costea (1957) - Matin de juin (from the cycle Collines et brume - Images de Transylvanie)
• Wednesday, 28.10.2015, at 18:00 –Nazareth, Basilica of the Annunciation, details: http://www.tsorganfestival.org/ The musical program includes:
C. Franck - Choral no. 3 in a minor
F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Sonata no. VI in d minor op. 65 [ Andante sostenuto - Allegro molto - Fuga - Final (Andante)]
J. S. Bach - An Wasserflüsse Babylon (BWV 653)
J. Brahms - O Gott, du frommer Gott
- Schmücke dich. o liebe Seele
J. Alain - Le jardin suspendu
- Litanies
• Thursday, 29.10.2015, at 18:00 – Jerusalem, Church of St. Saviour (close to the New Gate), details: http://www.tsorganfestival.org/ The musical program includes:
G. Frescobaldi - Messa della Madonna (fragments)
Ch. J. Stanley - Voluntary no. 7, op. VII
J. S. Bach - O Lamm Gottes unschuldig (BWV 656)
F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Sonata no. VI in d minor op. 65 [ Andante sostenuto - Allegro molto - Fuga - Final (Andante)]
J. Brahms - O Gott, du frommer Gott
- Schmücke dich. o liebe Seele
Ch. M. Widor - Toccata from the Symphony for organ no. 5, op. 42
• Friday, 30.10.2015, at 18:00 – Bethlehem, Church of St. Catherine at Nativity, details: http://www.tsorganfestival.org/ The musical program includes:
C. Franck - Choral no. 3 in a minor
F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Sonata no. VI in d minor op. 65 [ Andante sostenuto - Allegro molto - Fuga - Final (Andante)]
J. S. Bach - Passacaglia in c moll (BWV 582)
Al. Guilmant - Elevation I sur un Noel de Saboly Pastre dei mountagno
- Elevation II sur Or nous dit Marie, nous voici dans la ville
- Elevation III sur Entends ma voix fidele
J. Alain - Litanies
Marcel Octav Costea, organist, conductor and composer, teaches at the National University of Music Bucharest (since 1992) and is Kapellmeister at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Bucharest (since 1986).
He toured in Romania, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Belgium. He composed film scores, theatre music, chamber and choral music. He is the author of Sacerdotes, schola et christifideles – an incarnation of dialogue in music (”Sacerdotes, schola et christifideles – O întruchipare a dialogului în muzică”), Ed. Muzicală, Bucharest, 2006 and of Sacred music in Codex Caioni (”Muzica sacra în Codex Caioni”), Ed. UNMB, Bucharest, 2007.
He founded the Musica Sacra ensemble of the St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Bucharest in 1990, with which he toured in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, France and Romania. They recorded three albums in the Musica sacra series: Sancta Dei Genitrix (2010), O crux ave (2011) and Hodie Christus natus est (2012).
He recorded an album of Gregorian chant and organ music released by Weltmusik Konzertagentur – Erlangen and a promotional CD, Music to My Ears, released by IBM.
Composer of sacred and secular music, theatre music and film score: The White Lace Dress (Rochia albă de dantelă, 1989, directed by Dan Pița), To My Brother in Exile (Fratelui meu din exil, 2009, directed by Anca Boariu), etc.
Since 2005 he holds a PhD in Musicology with a thesis on ”Aspects of alternate chant – responsorial and antiphonal – in the Roman and Byzantine Church” (Aspecte ale cântului alternativ – responsorial și antifonal – în Biserica romană și bizantină).
In 2009 he took part in the International Organ Competition jury at St. Maurice (Switzerland), along with Luigi Celeghin – Italy, Z. Szathmáry – Germany, J.F. Vaucher – Switzerland, Hans Pålson – Sweden, Rotislaw Wygranienko – Poland and G. Athanasiades (president of the jury) – Switzerland.
In 2010 he was awarded the UCMR Prize for the choral composition Religious Triptych (Triptic religios).
